52 49 - Abyssal Fall

Chapter 49 - Abyssal Fall

Written By Dr Armstrong

->The Wyrm's POV<-< p>

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Heat like this was the kind of fire that could melt solid steel in the open air, equivalent to or maybe even hotter than the very surface of the sun.

And where was the heat going? The veritable sea of fangs that was Rend's massive jaws, coagulating into the shape of a tennis-sized ball of blue flame, an inferno that would make even a Phoenix sweat its revitalising liquids.

It was not a debate, not even a question, Wakaba was doomed to suffer a burning demise at the hands of the Fire Dragon Overlord.

Whilst the Wyrm would have preferred to deal the finishing blow himself, as that would grant more EXP and plundered power, he would not have such a big problem with Rend doing it, as when observed with the Wyrm's minions, they too would get EXP after a battle so as long as they contributed to the target's death, of course.

Besides, it would also alleviate the subatomic-sized guilt and regret that the Wyrm would have a large chance of experiencing if he were to kill Wakaba himself.

Even if he no longer had any feelings for Wakaba, nor any problems with killing humans and in this case, former humans, it would still leave a bitter taste if he were to kill one of his former classmates.

What would say if he were to meet his actual friends, his long-lost brothers from the past life?

'Oh, Wakaba became a monster too? What happened to her? You killed her!? Why would you do that!?' They'd probably say something like that.

At least, if Rend killed her, the Wyrm could just say that she died at the hands of a powerful Dragon, and make some bullshit up to draw the attention away from him.

He honestly hoped his friends hadn't reincarnated as Monsters too, because if they were, then he'd have little choice other than to become a Monster Hunter, maybe evolve into fucking Fatalis or something...

The Wyrm's top priority was gaining power, and with his bottomless [Greed], such a goal became quite simple; just kill the existing powerful Monsters and plunder their might and magic!

As for Humanity, well, if the so-called Hero, the literal actual protagonist of the entire human race chosen by the Gods, was just a mid-boss-level child soldier, maybe he could spare them since they had been born with the virtue of being weak and not worth his attention.

Who knows, perhaps they'd be more useful in his quest as something more than just mindless EXP, since Humans were much more intelligent than your average Monster, and could effectively use tools and build structures, it would be better to relegate them as subordinates, maybe even worshippers if he played his cards correctly.

The Spider's mandibles helplessly bit the Dragon's overpowering hand as she tried to desperately escape, her eyes glowing with intense magical power.

Rend widened his eyes as intense pain assaulted his senses, the Rot of the Spider's malevolent magic engulfing his clawed hands in a deathly aura, his scales gradually disintegrating into dust.

"ROOOAAAAAARRR!!!" The Overlord released a mighty roar that shook the very foundations of the Dungeon as the sapphire sphere of heat in his maw swelled in size.

The Spider did her best as she tore and sliced the Dragon's hand up with her scythe arms, cutting it up but still not nearly enough damage for her release.

Taking advantage of the fact that Dragon had to keep his mouth open to charge up that blue flame super attack, she hurled at the inside of his mouth as many bolts of poisonous arrows and spears as humanly possible.

But it was all for nought, even if the Dragon didn't have a super high-levelled [Pain Resistance], he was still a centuries-old Dragon that not only managed to survive for that long but dominated as the unchallenged Overlord of a Stratum, he was not so easily distressed by a mere dose of pain.

'Seems like the end of the road for you, Wakaba-san.' The Wyrm addressed with a neutral, somewhat disappointed tone.

'Are you really not going to help me? Why would you even want me to die?' There was a calmness in her words, although they had meaning denoting anger, her tone was closer to genuine curiosity rather than fury.

'You misunderstand, I don't want you to die, I just want to kill you.' The Wyrm responded with a baffling statement, the type that would illicit a few dozen missing calls from Harvard.

'Naiwa...' She couldn't understand this kind of reasoning.

'...But what happens if I survive? What would you do?' She further asked as her arachnid form completely ceased all forms of resistance, seemingly surrendering to her infernal fate.

'...Then I'm just gonna kill you, what are you on about, anyway? I'm not Son Goku.' Leaving an opponent that could potentially grow into something that could kill you, whilst having a completely valid reason to try to...it seemed like a very bad idea.

'I guess that's fair enough.' It is what it is.

'So any last words, Wakaba?' The Wyrm asked, if he were to be given the chance, then he would try to tell the other reincarnations about the Spider's last-minute thoughts.

'Actually, I do.'

'But before that...could I request something from you, Issei-san?' She still used an honorific, even if it was his first name now...

'Whatever, so as long as it's not something annoying or tedious, I'll hear you out.' It was cruel not to at least give it some thought, the Wyrm didn't want to completely sever his last remaining humanity, after all.

'Could you name me? I'd rather be named by someone I know than some demonic outer space deity...' That's rather surprising...

'Name? But you already have a name...' That's right, she was Wakaba Hiiro, the Wyrm didn't know what to make of her last request.

'Yeah, but that's like...my old, old, old name. Just appraise yourself, does it say Sakurazaki Issei?' She made a good point, the Wyrm himself was still nameless even after all of this action.

He had just been the Wyrm this whole time, the name 'Issei' didn't really suit this new him as everything that had happened, he had transformed into a drastically different person with a much more extreme mindset.

So naturally, it would be the same for the Spider, she was not Wakaba, she was simply the Spider.

'Why didn't you just name yourself then?' The Wyrm asked as he pondered about this new dilemma of his.

The Wyrm had never given himself a name since he never really considered such a thing. In his mind, he was just a weird deviation of 'Issei', but now that he started thinking about it...he should absolutely get a new name!

'I thought about it.'

'...But I was too busy trying not to die, but since It's in front of me now...'

'I don't want my gravestone to be blank.'

Wakaba—no, the Spider said as Rend's tiny star erupted in pure blue energy and roared in her direction.

'Then there's little time to think about it, what do you want your name to be?' The Wyrm asked, her death was just a few brief seconds away, but to the both of them who possessed supercomputer-like minds, there was still enough time to converse.

'One that describes me, of course. Oh, and don't make it weird, goofy, or too scary. I don't want to be called Garlamondrago, the Eater of Pancakes any time soon.' She seemed rather fearless, death was utterly before her and the Spider was cracking jokes instead of despairing.

'Kumoko.' The Wyrm decided, his words brisk and serene like that of a lawgiver.

'Ku...mo...ko? Spider girl, seriously?' Her name was the combination of the Japanese words for 'Spider' and 'Female', which perfectly describes her current body.

'You asked for it.' She did request a name that described her.

'No, no. I actually like it a lot, it's catchy and cool at the same time, and doesn't give such a strong aura of cringe.' The Spider...Kumoko unexpectedly liked it.

'I'm rather known to be a great name, just look at my most prized minions.' The Wyrm couldn't help but brag as for the first time in what felt like years, he was finally able to interact with something that he could truly understand.

His minions were minions, Larry was actually rather smart for a Monster, but he was still a Monster through and through. That Hero was more like some fantasy archetype rather than a real person to him, a named NPC vital to the plot, or something like that.

'Minions? What are you talking about?' The Spider lacked some information regarding this.

The Wyrm had not used much of [Summoning] capabilities during the fight, it was really unnecessary and would just waste the lives of his monstrous subordinates.

'Maybe in the afterlife, you'd figure it out, Kumo-san. I hope I don't meet you in Heaven.' The Wyrm said as the burning inferno of azure flames got closer and closer to Kumoko's weakened body.

'You're going to hell, Ryuka-san.' She said with a chuckle.

'Lucas...? What?' Ryuka was the Japanese pronunciation of the name Luca/Lucas, which made the Wyrm assume he had just been called that.

'Ehm...nah, I mean Ryuka as in...Ryu and Aka...' It meant Red Dragon, very literally.

'Hell no, that's a girl's name!' The Wyrm vehemently denied such a feminine name.

It wasn't really feminine, but after watching a certain anime in his previous life involving a certain skimpy Ryuka, he could not see it as anything other than feminine.

'Okay, okay, geez...what a punk.' Kumoko complained quietly, though since they were communicating telepathically, that last part was the exact same volume as the words that preceded it.

'What about Ryuto?' Like the Beyblade kid? What the fuck...

'Ryuto what?' The Wyrm asked with a disapproving tone.

'It's a mix between Ryu and Raito...you know, Light.' No longer did it mean Red Dragon, but instead; 'Light' and 'Dragon'.

'I guess...but it's not really that unique, I knew some guys who were called Ryuto...never heard of a girl called Kumoko though.' The Wyrm couldn't help but point out.

'Man...this is harder than it looks! Okay, what about...' But just as the Spider was about to give another name.

The flame reached her.

...

But then it stopped.

And it fell.

Fell into the gates of the abyss.

Alongside the Overlord Dragon.

And even the Wyrm, was not spared.

For Abyss Magic was not so discriminate.

'I didn't die, did I?' 

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"Testing to see the chemistry between this two, might kill one if it doesn't work, lmao, te~he~" -Remark

Power Stones = More Cookies for the author.

Could you suggest some names for the Wyrm? Like Shiraori, he'd get one when he inevitably reached Godhood, I've already decided that name, but for the current name.

Something simplistic, any suggestions?